The charter to bring home rule to Clark County is a well-balanced, forward-looking document that can carry the county through most of the 21st century. It merits the support of our citizens.
Some advocates of home rule saw this as an opportunity to make substantial changes. They wanted the six specialized executives — auditor, assessor, treasurer, clerk of the court, sheriff, prosecuting attorney — made career civil servants appointed on the basis of merit and without partisan identification. This charter proposal leaves these six positions as they are, elected partisan officers.
Some would have liked to establish an elected partisan chief executive who would have the veto over acts of the county council. Some preferred to retain the present three-commissioner system. Instead, the new charter will have three significant features:
It will create a county council of five members elected on a partisan basis. Four are nominated and elected by four equally-populated districts. The fifth councilor would be nominated and elected at large and would serve as chairman.
